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Around the districts: Ramsgrange, Rathnure and St Leonards #districts #Ramsgrange #Rathnure #Leonards

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6 days ago

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Note coordinates

We are always happy to include items of local interest in the notes. Please email reception@swwfrc.ie by 4pm on the Friday evening before publication.

Our SWWFRC community

Looking for something new to do in 2026? Did you know that here at South West Wexford Family Resource Center we have a number of social groups that meet here on a weekly or monthly basis.

The Shelbourne Woman’s Group meets every Monday from 11am to 12.30pm. On Tuesdays, we have a parents and toddlers group that meets from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. On Wednesdays we have the St Louis Stitchers, who meet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a Blokes with Cameras group which meets in the evening, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Thursdays, our horticultural group meets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Ramsgrange Active Retirement Group meets on the first Monday of each month, along with a book club which also meets on a monthly basis.

New members are warmly welcomed in all of these groups. For more information call 051 389418

Community employment position

South West Wexford Family Resource Center is currently seeking an Office Administrator to work 19.5 hours per week. This is a community employment position and applicants will need to meet the eligibility criteria set by the Department of Employment and Social Protection. Please send your CV to cecoordinator@swwfrc.ie

Divide the pot

The winner of this week’s Ramsgrange Tidy Towns Split the Pot was Brenda Bolger, who took home €78. Congratulations Brenda and thank you to everyone who continues to support our Tidy Towns volunteer group.

Active retirement group

The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday 9 February at the South West Resource Center in Wexford. Please note that there will be no meeting in January.

The February meeting is the AGM, and the financial report will be presented, along with a selected committee for the coming year. If anyone would like to put their name forward, please let us know. The Annual Subscription is due; it’s €20 without increase.

The Christmas party on December 3 was a huge success, a big thank you again this year to all the local businesses who very kindly offered nice prizes for our raffle, as well as to the individuals who also made donations. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Next year’s annual holiday is for Co Clare staying at the Falls Hotel Ennistymon, May 4-8, costs €840 for a single room/€640 per person sharing. A non-refundable deposit of €50 is required when booking, Final payment due no later than April 13. The stay is open to non-members for an additional €20 to cover insurance. A savings club is open for the holidays, contact MaryB on 087 2073966 for details.

The Committee would like to thank all members for their support and kindness throughout the year. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2026.

Ramsgrange Parish Office

The parish office will close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23 and will reopen on Monday, January 5. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very healthy and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026.

St James GAA Club Lotto

There was no Club Lotto Jackpot winner on 16/12/2025. The winning numbers were 1, 5, 6 and 15. There was one Match 3 winner who took home €500: Pauline Fitzharris, Bannow. The next Jackpot will be €14,000 and the Reserve Jackpot will be €14,000. The numbers in match 3 will win or share €500.

The next draw will take place on Tuesday January 6 at the Taghmon Camross Clubhouse, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in local stores and online using the following link. https://hub.klubfunder.com/club/stjamesramsgrange.

We wish all our club members and their families a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

Christmas masses at Ramsgrange

There will be a mass on Wednesday, December 24, Christmas Eve, at 6:30 p.m. There will be two masses on Christmas Day, at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Ramsgrange National School

Ramsgrange National School is hosting a clothing collection fundraiser on Wednesday 7 January.

Examples of suitable items are clothing, shoes, handbags, hats, scarves, ties, belts, bras, socks and jewelry. We cannot take away bedding, duvets, pillows, cushions, curtains, towels, mats, patched uniforms, soiled or wet items or household items.

Please keep this collection in mind if you have a wardrobe void after Christmas.

Christmas Day Service

There will be a Christmas morning service at 10am in the newly renovated St Mogues Church of Ireland in Fethard on Sea. All are welcome

Fundraising Walk

The Tintern Trail Development Committee is organizing a fundraising walk along the Tintern Forest Trails on Saturday 27 December.

It is now a traditional post-Christmas outing and is a great opportunity to get together with friends and get some exercise. The walk will depart from the Vine Cottage Pub car park at 2pm and will circle around the footpaths, a distance of approximately 5 miles, but shorter options will be available on request. We will return to Colclough Hall, Saltmills where you can relax, hot refreshments will be served and we will hold a raffle.

All funds raised through contributions and the raffle will be used to help with the ongoing maintenance of the walking trails. We hope to see you on the 27th.

Rathnure

Divide the pot

Congratulations to Wattie O’Leary, lucky winner of €435 and to Nancy Quilty and Breda Donnelly winners of the Christmas hampers.

Many thanks to everyone who has supported the draw over the past year, and we look forward to your continued support in 2026. The next draw will take place at Bingo on December 30. Envelopes are available locally. Please support.

GAA Club Lotto

The numbers drawn this week were 2, 16, 24, 32. There were NO Jackpot winners. There was no winner of match 3. Lucky Dip winners 5 x €40. Our next draw will take place on Tuesday, December 23. The jackpot is €4,000!

Sincerely wishes everyone at Rathnure Lotto a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We thank you for your continued support throughout the year.

Bingo Rathnure

Bingo is played in the JKM room at 8 p.m. every Tuesday evening. The jackpot is €750 in 49 calls.

Killanne Development Group

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Killanne Lights Up on Sunday 7th December. It was a lovely festive evening, with a great feeling of community. A special mention to the Rathnure NS students who created the recycled decorations, with so much imagination and creativity, they looked stunning in the hall, well done!

Lines for our Christmas raffle are now on sale at Rackards, Fanuccis and Conrans or from any member of the committee. The draw takes place this Sunday evening, December 21st, with all proceeds going to support our ongoing work in the region. A very sincere thank you to our fantastic local sponsors who donated some excellent prizes.

The Killanne Community Christmas Walk will take place on Saturday, December 27 at 2 p.m., with a 4.5 km route, followed by refreshments in the hall. All are welcome.

Templeudigan 7km Fun Run/Walk

Join us this St Stephen’s Day for the Templeudigan 7km Fun Walk/Run in aid of the Ronald Mcdonald House – a truly worthy cause that supports families when they need it most. Don’t forget to come. Departure time 10:30 a.m. Spread the word!

Saint-Leonard

Lotto

There was no jackpot winner in last week’s Tintern Lotto draw. Tony Cullen, Ballygarvan was the only winner of the third match and he received €200. The numbers drawn were: 6, 16, 19, 22. This week’s jackpot is €15,650 and this week, three winners will share €200. Tickets on sale from all local shops and pubs and from committee members. The draw takes place every Tuesday evening at 9 p.m.

The winners of the drawing were: Richard Molloy, Milltown. Mag Rossiter, Ballyhack. Mag Ryan, Clonmines. William Fitzharris, Arklow. Wendy Hennessy, Garrycullen. Jason Ryan, Clonmines. Bridget Breen, Rathimney. Seamus Crowe, Boley. Catrina Sutton, Somers Way and David Furlong c/o Stasia.

Christmas mass times

Times for Christmas Masses in Tintern Parish are as follows: Christmas Eve, St Leonards 5pm, Ballycullane 8pm. Christmas Day, Gusserane 9.30am, Ballycullane 11am.

Tintern Review

We hope that the arrival of the 15th edition of the Tintern Review will be welcomed by all who appreciate its mix of old and new articles and photos about the region and surrounding areas.

Perhaps as you look through it you will think of some interesting topics for next year’s issue that you could bring to the attention of one of the committee members.

It’s on sale now at Ballycullane Post Office, John Joe Murphy’s store in Taylorstown, Daybreak Ballycullane, Costcutters Wellingtonbridge, Tirlán and Hart, Campile and Foulksmills stores.

Daycare

St Louis Nursery in Ramsgrange would be delighted to see more people in South West Wexford benefit from the services we offer.

Why not give yourself a day to meet friends old and new, take part in activities or learn new ones, bingo, singing, dancing, art, cards, to name just a few, whilst enjoying delicious meals freshly prepared in our kitchen. Our cook is there to help you with special diets. Our nurse is available to treat any minor medical issues.

Services provided include bus collection, laundry, bakery, GP clinic, podiatry, hairdressing, assisted showers and meals on wheels Monday to Friday. We like to think of St. Louis Daycare as a home away from home where you will be warmly welcomed.

If you think you, or know someone who would benefit from attending childcare, please contact us on 051 389509 or email us at stlouisdaycarecentre@gmail.com

There are rooms to rent at St Louis Day Care Center, day or night, including a large and small meeting room and a fully equipped physiotherapy room. Contact 051-389509 for more information.



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The meeting discussed the use of anti-terrorism laws to combat paramilitary flags and murals #meeting #discussed #antiterrorism #laws #combat #paramilitary #flags #murals

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11 hours ago

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December 30, 2025

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A file held at the Public Record Office in Belfast includes the minutes of a meeting which took place at Stormont House.

A meeting at Stormont discussed the use of anti-terrorism laws to combat displays of paramilitary flags and murals in 2004, according to declassified files.

The papers reveal that a senior PSNI official said “comprehensive case law” could be developed within the courts to establish a “clear line between what is acceptable and what is not”.

A file held at the Public Record Office in Belfast includes the minutes of a meeting which took place at Stormont House on March 2, 2004, attended by PSNI representatives, civil servants and representatives from the Community Relations Unit (CRU) and the Community Relations Council (CRC).

The minutes indicate that a previous meeting concluded that a “community approach to the flag issue was preferable to a police-only response.”

Senior officer Gary White told the meeting he had had a discussion with the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the use of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The minute read: “Again, the question of what is and is not acceptable behavior has become an issue, but GW (Gary White) believes that the DPP is in favor of using this provision generally and this is easiest where a flag or mural illustrates an explicit level of support for a paramilitary organization.

“Obviously there will be areas where there will be doubts about what a flag is.

“GW suggested that this issue should be left to the courts and that comprehensive case law could be developed to establish a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not.

“He also reminded the group that there is great sympathy for the idea that what was acceptable during the worst phases of the Troubles may not be acceptable now.”

The minutes indicate that the meeting recalls a test case relating to the display of paramilitary flags in Hollywood, which resulted in the conviction of four people under section 13 of the Terrorism Act.

It was subsequently learned that the CRU had commissioned research from the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s University into the issue of flags and emblems.

The CRU’s Billy Gamble said “his preference was for the community to resolve these issues on their own”, but he felt there “had to be a threat of final sanction”.

The minutes state: “The group was clearly impressed by the approaches of the CRU/CRC and expects the outcome of the policy document in June.

“It is clear, however, that there will be times when the community simply cannot stop the paramilitaries from engaging in this activity.

“In such circumstances, the PSNI is content to have the necessary powers under the Terrorism Act to deal with the situation. In short, there is no universal policy that can solve the flag problem.”

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Eddie Hearn pays tribute as two members of Anthony Joshua’s team die in car crash #Eddie #Hearn #pays #tribute #members #Anthony #Joshuas #team #die #car #crash

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12 hours ago

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December 30, 2025

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Anthony Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria on Monday, leaving two people tragically killed in the incident and the former heavyweight champion was rushed to hospital.

12:47 a.m., December 30, 2025Updated at 00:47, December 30, 2025

Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport, has paid tribute to two men who tragically died in a car crash involving British heavyweight Anthony Joshua in Nigeria on Monday.

The victims were identified as Kevin Ayodele and Sina Ghami, while Joshua was taken to hospital with minor injuries following the collision.

The incident occurred on Monday morning on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just outside Lagos, when a black Lexus Jeep collided with a stationary red Sinotruck commercial vehicle.

The accident claimed the lives of Ayodele, also known as Latz, and Ghami, both close friends and members of Joshua’s team. Two other men in the vehicle were said to have escaped unhurt.

Hearn, chairman of Joshua’s promotional company Matchroom, was among those who paid tribute to both men when news of their tragic deaths was confirmed.

“With the heaviest of hearts,” he shared in an Instagram post. “Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My deepest thoughts and prayers are with everyone.”

Boxer Chris Eubank Jr also shared a heartfelt message, saying: “Thank God our heavyweight champion survived this horrific car accident. And pray for the two fallen soldiers, Latz and Sina, and their families.

“I knew they both…were truly good men. Rest in peace boys.”

Slim Albaher of Misfits Boxing also paid tribute, adding: “Sending prayers for Anthony Joshua and the two brothers who died tragically in the car crash. I can’t believe Latz was one of the guys involved… he was such a good soul and supportive brother. Allah Yerhamu, may Allah grant Latz and Sina Jannah.”

Another fighter, Mutah Beale, also said: “From Allah we return sad and shocking news regarding the death of our dear brother Abdul-Latif following a car accident. May Allah have mercy on him and grant him Jannah, and may Allah ease this difficult time for his family. We also wish the champion a speedy recovery. »

OnestoplistDubai shared a touching message: “May Allah forgive your faults and grant you the highest level of paradise. Ameen. Nothing but good memories when we were together.

“My condolences go out to your family and loved ones Sina @258mgt @anthonyjoshua. A gentle reminder to all brothers and sisters. From him we came and to him we will return. Now at peace, Sina.”

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President McAleese’s husband’s contacts with the UDA took ‘a life of its own’, ambassador heard #President #McAleeses #husbands #contacts #UDA #life #ambassador #heard

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13 hours ago

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December 30, 2025

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Contacts between the husband of former Irish president Mary McAleese and UDA leaders in Northern Ireland took on “a life of their own”, a British government official said in 2003.

Declassified files show Martin McAleese had arranged a coach for loyalist leaders to attend a golf outing, but they refused, fearing it would be “too much like a UDA day trip”.

A senior civil servant noted that “there were a few surprises” in contacts but that Dr McAleese was determined to expand the list of his “loyalist friends” to include the UVF.

One of the files released under the 20-year regime concerns Dr. McAleese’s efforts to force loyalist paramilitaries from the margins of the peace process during his wife’s first term as president.

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The extent of his contacts is contained in a confidential memo written to the then British Ambassador to Ireland, Stewart Eldon, by senior civil servant Chris McCabe in September 2003, entitled “Loyalism and the Irish: Lunch with Martin McAleese”. Mr McCabe said he had a “private conversation” with Martin McAleese over lunch.

The memo said: “Martin McAleese is very candid about his contacts with high-ranking loyalists. Impressive in both their breadth and depth. Well aware of the potential pitfalls, but so far things have gone remarkably well.

“Determined to persevere for as long as possible, expanding the list of his loyalist ‘friends’ at every opportunity.”

Mr. McCabe added:

This allowed us to hear firsthand what Martin was doing: although we were already aware of much of what he told us, there were a few surprises.

The note stated that Dr McAleese had received a letter from “South Belfast UDA Brigadier” Jackie McDonald in February 2003.

“Once Martin verified that there would be no political objections to such a personal initiative, the first meeting was arranged. Since then, the meetings seem to have taken on a life of their own.”

The memo details a list of contacts, including a meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin “involving 50 unionists/loyalists who focused on cross-community issues”. It also included “several meetings with UDA brigadiers (including a “jovial” Jim Gray) and others in which Jackie McDonald was clearly primus inter pares”.

The note continues: “Social events, including golf outings, in which some or all UDA brigadiers and their associates were involved. On one of these occasions, Martin called for a coach, but the brigadiers refused him on grounds of collective security and because it would be too much like a UDA day trip.

“Alternative transportation in a fleet of minibuses was agreed; each vehicle was checked for ‘bugs and bombs’ before its guests boarded!”

The note said Dr McAleese had “admitted to being relatively innocent abroad”, but added that he was struck by “the sincerity of everyone he met and would tend to take them at face value until he knew otherwise”.

The note adds: “For our part, we welcomed his initiative and the progress that has been made. We said that, given the provenance of some of the figures involved and the need for transparency, accountability and inter- and intra-community equality, we could not hope to match his activities on this side of the border.

“But that shouldn’t bother him, quite the contrary.”

The memo was copied to Secretary of State Paul Murphy and other Northern Ireland ministers in direct power. The note concluded by stating that Dr McAleese also wanted to make contact with someone on the “military side” of the UVF.

It said: “To ensure the PUP/UVF stays on board, he would have dinner with the party’s chairman, David Rose, and secretary, Dawn Purvis, later this week.

“He hoped this would lead to direct contact with someone on the military side. He also has tentative plans for some sort of dialogue with members of the DUP.”



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